From time to time, the control software for a wind energy installation is replaced by a new version of the control software. In the traditional procedure, an operator successively addresses the individual wind energy installations via a dataline from a control centre, transmits the new version of the software to each individual wind energy installation, and installs the software by manually input commands. The process of updating the software takes about 1.5 hours for each wind energy installation. The time spent by the operator and the shutdown time of the wind energy installation result in considerable costs.
EP 1 788 478 A2 discloses a method for automatic updating of the control software for a plurality of wind energy installations. There, the new version of the control software is transmitted once from a control centre to a farm master to which a plurality of wind energy installations are connected. The farm master successively addresses the individual wind energy installations and transmits the new version of the control software to the wind energy installations. This reduces the amount of data transmitted between the control centre and the farm master. This results in a considerable time saving since the dataline between the control centre and the farm master is in many cases designed only for a low transmission rate.
The advantages of the method according to EP 1 788 478 A2 are evident when all the wind energy installations that are connected to the farm master are operated using identical operating parameters. The control software can then be designed for the relevant operating parameters, and can be played back to the individual wind energy installations successively, without any further adaptations.
However, the precondition that all of the wind energy installations which are connected to the farm master are operated using the same operating parameters is not always satisfied. This is true even when the wind energy installations are in principle of the same type. For example, the components of the wind energy installations may differ, for example the generators or the gearboxes. A wind energy installation which is arranged at the top of a hill may be equipped with a different hazard beacon than that on a wind energy installation arranged on the slope. Variations of this type can lead to the operating parameters of the wind energy installation differing. Adaptations may be required to the new version of the control software in order to allow it to be used for a wind energy installation with different operating parameters.
In the method according to EP 1 788 478 A2, the wind energy installations which are operated with different operating parameters must be manually segregated. The farm master must be instructed to jump over these wind energy installations when automatically updating the control software. This is tedious and involves a high potential for errors since all of the different wind energy installations may not be identified.
Problems with the compatibility of the control software can occur not only when the control software is being updated but also when the operating parameters of the wind energy installation change even though the control software remains the same. By way of example, the operating parameters of a wind energy installation may change when a mechanic carries out maintenance work on the wind energy installation and in the process changes settings which affect the operating parameters. Until now, the mechanic has had to tediously check by hand whether the settings that have been changed lead to problems relating to the compatibility of the control software.